Science Communication

Complicated global problems call for skilled communicators who can explain science clearly to the public. Science communication is a complex and interdisciplinary field with the potential for immense societal value. Science communication is an umbrella term for the practice of informing and inspiring the public about scientific knowledge in a more accessible and digestible manner. Science communication happens in a wide range of situations and contexts, from the “one-way dissemination of scientific information (for example, in lectures, mass media or written materials), to ephemeral interactions in museums, parks or social media settings, to relationship-based exchanges in settings like classrooms, community organizing and community-based research.”[1]

Science communication professionals leverage their understanding of complex scientific topics, along with strategic communication and storytelling principles, to craft compelling and informative content about science and related disciplines. This combination of industry knowledge and practical communication skills allows science journalists, broadcast professionals, public relations specialists, environmental advocates, and technical writers to advance the public’s understanding of scientific research and discoveries. And with the rise of climate change, global warming, ocean acidification, and the recent COVID pandemic, effective science communication is more important than ever. There are many types of science communicators, from professional scientists and academics to journalists, writers, and marketing and communications professionals, and they all use their unique communication skills to bring science to the public.[2]

Why is science communication important?

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine identified five general goals for science communication: (i) sharing recent findings and excitement for science, (ii) increasing public appreciation of science, (iii) increasing knowledge and understanding of science, (iv) influencing the opinions, policy preferences or behavior of people, and (v) ensuring that a diversity of perspectives about science held by different groups are considered when solutions to societal problems are pursued.[3] The importance of science communication, however, extends beyond these stated goals to include addressing urgent issues, making science more transparent, inspiring the next generation of scientists, and inspiring local communities to take action.

Science Communication Tools

Communicating science is not easy. Most peer-reviewed scientific research is published in comparatively dense and specialized academic research papers. And while an increasing number of articles are becoming open access, most are still largely locked behind expensive paywalls. Science communication professionals use a range of communication tools, from documentaries, books, and podcasts to mass media journalism and public talks. To ensure scientific research is understood by the public and improve scientific literacy, today’s science communicators need to use many different formats, including social media, documentaries, blogs and podcasts, cartoons and comics, traditional media and public relations, infographics, immersive web content, video, presentations, events, and data storytelling.[4]

Inclusive Science Communication

Inclusive Science Communication (ISC) is a broad term that encompasses all the various efforts to engage specific audiences in learning, conversations, or activities related to STEMM – science, technology, engineering, math, or medicine. What differentiates ISC from typical science communication is that its “research and practice are grounded in inclusion, equity, and intersectionality, making these concerns central to the goals, design, implementation, evaluation, and refinement of science communication efforts.”[5] The goals of ICS are:

1. Recognizing historical inequities and centering the voices, knowledge, and experiences of marginalized individuals and communities in STEM dialogue.
2. Acknowledging that each person’s individual characteristics (e.g., gender, race, physical ability) overlap with one another and that these intersectional identities give them their unique presence and status in the world.
3. Rejecting the oversimplifications model in which science communicators treat public audiences as lacking relevant knowledge or experience.
4. Incorporating methods that respect and value the ideas, experiences, questions, and criticisms that diverse publics bring to conversations about STEM.
5. Cultivating belonging and engagement of audience and collaborator perspectives.[6]

According to the North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network, there are 3 fundamental key traits that must exist and work concurrently, as any one of them alone is insufficient to reach the main aim:

1. Intentionality: It is about implementing intentional consideration of the audience with whom one is communicating, how science is defined in one’s work, and how marginalized identities are, and have been, represented and supported in engagement and communication activities. Its practices include awareness of participants’ lived experiences, prioritizing cultural relevance, and emphasizing a multi-directional, dialogue-based model of engagement. Also, this approach promotes collaboration and co-creation at all stages, from project design through implementation and evaluation.
2. Reciprocity: it is the second key trait of ISC that builds on the intentionality concept and is inseparable from the third trait, which is reflexivity. It can be simply summarized in “being with, rather than doing for” and ensuring co-created benefit for audiences and communicators/researchers/practitioners. Simply put, the reciprocity trait is about how the communication is supporting collaboration to address inequities that have been present in typical science communication.
3. Reflexivity: it is a continuous, critical, and systematic reflection on the communicators’ and audience’s personal identities, practices, and outcomes, followed by adaptation as required to redress inequitable interactions. It promotes gaining the knowledge and skills to redress the effects of exclusive or inequitable efforts. Reflexivity can happen at the individual, programmatic, or institutional level.[7]

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Citations

1. Inclusive Science Communication Starter Kit, Metcalf Institute.
2. 12 examples of stunning science communication, Shorthand.
3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/23674.
4. 10 science communication tools, Shorthand.
5. Inclusive Science Communication Key Traits and Recommendations, The North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network (NAMES).
6. Canfield KN, Menezes S, Matsuda SB, Moore A, Mosley Austin AN, Dewsbury BM, Feliú-Mójer MI, McDuffie KWB, Moore K, Reich CA, Smith HM and Taylor C (2020) Science Communication Demands a Critical Approach That Centers Inclusion, Equity, and Intersectionality. Front. Commun. 5:2. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2020.00002.
7. Inclusive Science Communication Key Traits and Recommendations, The North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network (NAMES).